numinous-experience
The overwhelming encounter with the sacred or ineffable, here evoked by the pendulum as a manifestation of cosmic immobility amid universal flux.
1 chapter across 1 book
Foucault's Pendulum (1988)Umberto Eco
The chapter centers on the narrator's profound observation of Foucault's Pendulum in the choir of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, reflecting on its scientific and metaphysical significance as a symbol of cosmic order and the immutability of a fixed point in a moving universe. The narrator contemplates the interplay between the physical and mystical, the infinite and the finite, and the illusion of multiplicity versus unity. The setting juxtaposes the pendulum's sublime cosmic symbolism with the relics of technological progress and ancient idols, emphasizing a tension between science, myth, and history.